City bureaucracy

City bureaucracy

From Warta Kota

I have been a resident of an urban village in one corner of Jakarta since 1950 and have therefore witnessed how this capital city has developed.

After the 1960s I was a little relieved when Jakarta was led by Ali Sadikin. Since then, we have had only stories of hardships to tell.

I believe the present governor, Mr. Sutiyoso, and his administrative staff are well aware that the common people have always been chased by "city development executing apparatuses". Our family has had to move several times, always for the same reason: that our dwelling place had been earmarked for the site of a project purportedly serving the public's interest. What usually happens is that this project turns out to be a business or office compound not in the least concerned with us, the common people.

These are all bitter memories. Terror and intimidation committed by either uniformed military personnel or those wearing no uniforms used to be part of our daily lives. In our new place -- also an urban village -- there are no adequate community facilities. There is neither a park, where one can breathe fresh air, nor a yard for children to play in or for a ceremony.

Then, if we have to get our residential identity cards or other documents related to the government/city administration, we have to deal with corrupt officials, from the lowest level up.

If Governor Sutiyoso hopes that his tenure will go down in gold ink in the history of the capital city, he must put in order his city administration bureaucracy and turn the bureaucracy, now rampant with corruption, collusion and nepotism, into an institution serving the public.

MARTOATMODJO

Jakarta